Rebekah Jonesy's Blog, page 12

Kentucky Life

I've moved a lot in my life. Even before marrying a Navy man I moved a lot. As a child my father worked for AT&T. He was a union man, and I am damn proud of him for that. He helped build and maintain the communication system across this country. But that was in the 80s. When Ma Bell was sucking up all the little telephones companies, laying off workers, and trying to bust up unions.

But that's not what this post is about. This post is about the wonderful, beautiful state my parents were living in when I was born.

Kentucky. The bluegrass state. Where the horses race across the horizon, which is only about a quarter mile away. Where Daniel Boone lived and left his wife with their children. And where a hotel came up with a wonderful dish called the Hot Brown. I prefer my hot brown with turkey and ham, and no bacon. I know that's sacrilege to some people, but I just don't like bacon and white sauce together. Especially not when I top it with a thick slice of fresh tomato. I provided a link to show how some people make it, but now I will describe how I prefer to make it.

First you start with thick slices of bread. Any kind works so long as it is slightly stale, toasted does not work as well. So slice it thick in the morning and let it sit on the counter till dinner. Place the stale bread in a deep plate or oven safe bowl. This is why I always buy Corelle. Make up a simple bechamel sauce and add shredded cheddar cheese. With the back of a spoon paint on just a bit of the sauce to the bread. That will help hold everything in place. Next add a solid layer of sliced turkey. Not luncheon meat, but baked leftover turkey. Add a small scoop of the cheese sauce, and if you're feeling spicy add some tabasco sauce. Add sliced onions, not a lot or it will slip. Next you add thinly sliced country ham. Or if you want your bacon any way you can use some ends and pieces that have already been cooked up. On top of that you will put a full scoop of the cheese sauce, maybe a bit more. You want enough that it pours down the sides but doesn't reach the bottom yet. Next you add a thick slice or two of tomato. Add enough cheese sauce on top that it starts to pool around the bread. Top with parmesan. Pop it in a broiler until the top starts to brown up. Garnish with green onion and fresh cracked pepper. Then wait 2-5 minutes. The tomato will still be spitting juices and because the top is sealed all the juice will trickle down into the ham. The toast will start to soak up the cheesy goodness. The turkey will start to fall apart as the onions release their sweet bite into it.

Ok now dig in.

Just typing this has my mouth watering and brings up wonderful memories of after Thanksgiving meals. It's the perfect meal for any leftover meats. This Kentucky girl knows how not to waste food so I've made it with roasted beef, corned beef, pork loins, chicken, and just about anything else you can think of. If you don't have a second type of meat for the other layer you can always use a fried or poached egg too.

And the perfect Kentucky sweet to follow it up, at least where I was from, is potato candy. But that's a different recipe for a different post.

Amalfi's

A few of my favorite things involve food, sass, inappropriate jokes, coffee, chocolate, razzing my friends and family, and food. So it is obvious why I love Amalfi's pasta and pizza so friggin' much. I've been going there for years, since I was just out of high school. My favorite coffee shop was next door so I would spend a lot of time hanging out around there. My sister worked at the coffee shop and she was friends with the son of the Italian family that owns Amalfi's. She would talk about how excellent the food was there and how it was making her fat and I should try it. So one day I did. And then I had a slice of their tiramisu. And my world changed.
Smooth, silky, creamy, with a bite of dark chocolate and espresso, and a hint of Kahlua. I was hooked.
I moved several times over the next dozen years. My husband's military life took us all over the country. But every time I would come back for a visit I had to go to Amalfi's. And every time I did I was greeted like a long lost relative. Olympia, the mother would hug me and ask about my life. Mike, the father, would lean over and tell me off color jokes. Linda, the oldest daughter, would tell me about her kids and ask about my family. And Michael, the youngest son who I only call by his last name, would pester me until I stabbed him with a fork.
They were the insulting, laughing, loud, honest, caring, cheerful, Northern family I missed so much after leaving my extended family in Michigan. They are from Italy and NY but it's pretty close attitude wise. And after being surrounded by sweet southern folk for years I needed that harsh banter again to help sharpen my wits.
This last move, back to Charlotte in preparation for my husband's year long deployment, we drove our U-haul truck straight to their parking lot and went in for a late dinner. And it was like nothing had even changed. "Hey Rebek, have a seat. I'll put coffee on." "Oh I didn't know you were coming for a visit." I pointed to the parking lot where my U-haul was. "I'm moving back actually." "Oh good! So you'll come visit us often!"
And I did. When my husband left I was there so often that Mike started threatening to charge me rent. But always made sure there was a fresh pot of coffee when I came in. Because even though I hate eating alone, when I went in there by myself I always felt like I was sitting down to a family meal. Now they call or text me when my favorites are on the weekend specials. And let me know if they are out of tiramisu, and laugh at me as I pretend to cry about it. When I needed some input on how to run a restaurant they told me all about it, I even used their restaurant as the basis for one of my books Truth Revealed. Olympia gives me herbs and seeds from her garden and taught me how to make "real" marinara, after laughing at mine of course. I'm working on carving a giant wooden spoon so she has something to beat her son with again. And I take them birthday cakes and holiday treats too.
I might have a serious tiramisu addiction, which you probably guessed from the amount of times I talked about it already, but I also feel like my family in this area has gotten larger. And everyone should have an Italian family they can call on when they need food therapy.


http://www.wbtv.com/clip/13398321/ama...#

Chocolate Cake

This is my recipe that I like to use for chocolate cake when I going to make something like my Chocolate Stutter Cake or Buckeye Cake. It's not as fluffy, a little gooey, and bakes and cools quickly. It can hold it's shape once cooled without crumbling. It also freezes and reheats well in single servings. It's halfway between a cake and a brownie.

1 cup butter, melted (margarine if you want it super moist which I always do)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs with 1 extra yolk
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda

Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Heat oven to 350.
In medium sized bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and vanilla.
Add eggs, yolk, and oil.
In separate small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa and baking soda together with a fork until fully blended
and smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Pour into greased pan and shake to make it flat and even.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


Because this cake is so dense and not very tall you can add extras to it immediately after baking if you want. Top it with jellies, peanut butter, chocolate bars, fudge, caramel, or pudding. You can also cut it and layer it into a pan for trifle or cake lasagnas or ice cream cakes.

Blood and Bile

Blood and Bile

“Before the world came to be, there was nary beginning nor end, nary sky-shield nor night-wheel, nary war-garb nor shield-foe, nary fate-heeder nor fate-weaver, nor any thing living or dying or dead.”Ranvir ripped meat from bone, the dew of deep wounds dribbling between his fingers. He packed the flesh into his teeth-house, chewing happily.
His wife gaped at him, word-land soundless, forehead-stones devoured long ago, and wound-necklace torn from ear to ear.
She had never looked more beautiful.
His hands probed into her blood’s-seat for another bite, nails scraping against cartilage, fingers squeezing organ and fat, seeking a tasty morsel.
Ranvir heard the rasping of his tent flap open, but did not turn from his meal. Snaer’s brisk breath briefly touched his back. and then he felt it no more. He swallowed another mouthful and pulled at his wife’s skin to gaze at the glossy remains.
A voice, light and feminine, spoke.
“Ranvir?”

   The title of this excellent dark fantasy book by Joshua Robertson and JC Boyd should give you an idea of what is in this book. An extra warning, don't read it around pets that like to noisily groom themselves. I had to kick mine out of the room after reading this. Totally worth it too. If you are a fan of Salvatore then you will almost certainly love this book as much as I did. 5/5 stars from me.


*crunch slurp crunch squelch*


   These are the sounds that mark the change of an entire world. It all starts with Ranvir. Or does it start with Runa? Or maybe Hunfrith? If Haki told the truth would it have stopped the apocalypse?  Would the calamity have been adverted if Wisaric had gotten back sooner? Could Buri have saved them all if he had passed judgement sooner? Or can all the blame be placed squarely on the First who refused to listen to his brothers? And what, or who, is Stjarfi? It is a tale literally as old as time on this world, and it will shape the rest of the world and all it's peoples. Once it is done changing them into something new and terrible.



   As with all tragedies it takes the actions of everyone involved to bring about the fall. In the greatest of tragedies all of the actors are doing what they think is best. Runa wants to protect her family. Hunfrith wants to protect their ways. Haki wants to protect his wife. Wisaric wants to protect his people. Buri wants to set a better course for his tribe.



   Stjarfi... What does he want? Is he even still a he? Or has his need made him into something else?

   In this carefully and wonderfully woven story of ancient legends and magic come back to life you'll find yourself wondering "who is the bad guy?" Sadly not every story has a true villain. Sometimes it's just a person trying to find their own path in life without any malicious intent that pushes things out of control.

She gasped in surprise. “No.” The wind whistled almost threateningly. “He has a wife, and…” Her hand trailed up her chest to her lips. “I have never…It is forbidden.”

 Even with the words slipping from her mouth, she understood what the whispers demanded. Tears touched the corners of her eyes, her chest tightening as though the muscles might still her heart. She was Runa Ragvisdottir. If she wanted freedom from Thursi’s Law, she must not heed it. She would pass beyond her people and her brother would be freed.

She had promised.

She wiped the wetness beginning to drip from her nose, and reached slowly for the moonflower again, and then the black henbane. She shook her head frantically. Thoughts that were not her own filled her head, reassuring her of the path she traipsed down.

The Dragon Cager

   I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Lilian Oake's new book The Dragon Cager which came out today. 5/5 stars from me and you should go get a copy for yourself.

   Since I know she writes YA fantasy I was expecting something light and fluffy. But I was pleasantly surprised at the complex, complicated world she built in old England. Dragon cagers are magical creatures that are half man half dragons. They can assume either shape and are notorious for gaining the trust of humans before eating them alive.

   Evie is the only daughter of a small merchant family. Her father died when she was a young girl so her mother and younger brother work together at the family business and Evie found a job in the governor's home as a maid. She also found love, and a hope for a better life. But a night of passion turns into a nightmare when everyone she has ever known turns against her or idly stands by and watches her downfall.

   Exiled from the only life she has ever known, with her heart and hopes broken, she is cast into the burning wilderness where dragons disguised as men roam freely. In that wilderness, everything she had been taught turns out to be lies. At least that is what the gorgeous, naked dragon cager, Lachlann, tries to convince her of.

   And that is just another layer to Evie's already complex situation. Because Lachlann has fallen in love with her at first sight. Or so he says. But Evie has just been betrayed by her first love, and everyone knows that cagers like to trick humans. Adding to her confusion is a voice inside her head telling her she's being silly not to trust Lachlann. Not her own instincts, or budding insanity, the voice belongs to a tiny dragon imp, Lachlann's familiar, who can sway a person's emotions.



   Surrounded by magic for the first time in her life, with her own magic coming out in unpredictable ways, wrapped up in violence and lies and subterfuge and hidden pasts, the only way for Evie to figure it out is to find the one person that has all the answers, and the person that started it all. Her own mother. But the same people that are hunting Evie and Lachlann are also hunting her mom. And the only way to reach her in time is on the back of a dragon. A dragon that wants her and doesn't understand her prim upbringing.

“Are you all right?” Lachlann asked, concern embellishing his voice.“I will be in a few moments,” she replied. “There must be a more comfortable way to ride you.”A smile flirted at the corner of his lips and Evie quickly raised a finger. “Ah, ah, ah! No rude innuendos, please.” Evie flashed a humorless glare before continuing. She was in no mood to joke.Lachlann’s shoulders dropped in disappointment as he took a seat beside her. “You’re no fun.”

   Crag isn't as helpful as he could be though.


   But his antics provide a needed laugh here and there, and he even turns out to be useful.

   All in all this was a delightful book. So good I read it twice in the last month or so. And I will most certainly read it again in the future because it's such a great tale with fun and hilarious dialogue and characters that you root for the entire time.

I helped write a movie. Now we need help.

             On the path to Hell, a serial killer brings his talents to a small country town.
Support The Line
On Friday April 7th an Indiegogo campaign to collect production funds for The Line will start it’s six month long drive. The Line is written by Jin Okubo, author of Love, and will be directed by Jimmy Lee, founder of the Unity Film Festival. Production is scheduled to take place this fall at a derelict farm in California. The Line is a psycho thriller about a group of murders that the FBI believes are all related to the same person, an unnamed and unknown serial killer.
In a world of remakes, prequels, and sequels, we’re looking to make something new.  We’re working to capture again the feeling of meeting the monster in the dark, an unknown killer, without basing it on someone else’s character. The depravities and impulses of the human mind are as unique as the individual. And no one makes a better monster to humans than another human. This is the story we want to tell, want to share with the world, but we need help to make the horror come alive.
Remember in Silence of the Lambs, how you felt when Jody Foster was in that basement. Through the night vision you can see the utter fear and helplessness in her eyes. In a way you could taste that damp air she was breathing. We have a great story, now we need the funds to hire fabulous actors and crew to finish it. Let's show the world that great acting still exists and great stories can still be made.
In making, and funding, this short film we are striving to show you what can lay hidden behind a human face. And in order to do that we encouraging our backers to help us, in more ways than just money. We have several interesting perks that will make you a part of the film itself, not just a sponsor or patron. Check out the Indiegogo Campaign The Line Short Film to see how you can join us, and our killer, in our movie.

What Women Want a handy guide

  With Valentine's Day coming up I thought I would write a quick handy guide to explain what women really want.


  It's really easy, especially when you think about who women are. So I'll break this down a little and first I will explain who women are.


  Women are people. Period. The end. We make up slightly more than half the population. We come in all heights, weights, colors, and abilities. (Just like men!) We have differing tastes in style. (Just like men!) We have differing hobbies. (Just like men!) We have differing ideas of romance. (Just like men!) We have differing tastes in food. (Just like men!) We like a wide variety of things. (Just like men!)

  So now that we've talked about women, let's talk about what you should get your special someone that is a woman.

  I have no clue.

  See, I don't know her. I don't know her likes. I don't know her dislikes. I don't know what you, as a couple, think is appropriate spending for a shared holiday.

  So here is my advice.

  Ask her.

  Pretty easy right?

  But, Rebekah! (You might say.) My girlfriend/guy friends/dad/uncle/media tells me that women want men to read their minds and they will get angry if I don't already know what they want!


  To which I reply, Bullshit.

  You're not a mind reader. Everyone already knows that. And you know what is really damn sexy? Having someone you love come up to you and say, "Hey babe, what do you want for Valentine's this year?" or "So did you want to do something new this year, or just the same ole thing?" or even better "I want to know what you want, and what you want to do." Nothing is sexier than having someone listen to your wants and needs and then act on it.

Because at the end of the day what makes us feel loved the most is having a partner that listens and cares and is willing to go out of their way to make us feel good. (Just like men!)

What a day!

Yesterday I finally managed to get ten some decent sleep, nearly six solid hours! When I woke up I realized what a mess the house was. I had been picking up things but hadn't actually cleaned anything. I roused my husband from his office, he was spacing out watching YouTube videos, and got to work. We cleaned the whole house, then got to work on cooking.
Our weeks have been so hectic over the last few months that I've started cooking a weeks worth of meals on Sunday. I didn't have time last week so I wanted to make up for it this week. So I planned to try several new recipes. With a bit of help from my husband I made more than enough. There hadn't been enough time, or brain power, to make up a menu or shop so I used what I already had on hand.
I started with spinach soufflé stuffed meatloaf. I made a dense meatloaf mixture, pressed it into the sides and bottom of a loaf pan and covered it with sliced ham. I then sliced mozzarella into strips and lined that down the middle. I finished filling it with spinach souffle. Once full I folded the sides down and sealed it. There was some cheese leftover so I used that to top it and baked it till it was a golden brown. 
Chicken was on sale so I bought a lot of it. I sliced some boneless breasts and marinated them in some terriyaki marinade I made up. Once they were ready I covered them with pineapple, peppers and onions. The whole mixture went into a covered baking dish. Once it was cooked there was a fair bit of liquid. I mix up a cornstarch slurry and thickened it into a sauce.
The remainder of the chicken breast was marinated in a balsamic mixture then baked. Once it was cooled I sliced it thin. I followed that up with mushrooms, green pepper, onion, green olives and soaked them in a homemade vinaigrette. Topped with penne straight from the pot and covered with a tight lid all of the flavors co-mingled into a delicious pasta salad with chicken.
The day before I had cooked up a pot of beans with the skin from our homemade smoked bacon. I mashed them into a 9x13, topped it with spicy salsa and quesadilla cheese. That didn't last long. My husband kept eating throughout the day and finished it off last night. Obviously he enjoyed it. I managed to sneak some for myself once he was stuffed. It was easily the best bean dip I'd had in a long time.
After that all I had was leg quarters which I split into thighs and legs. The thighs were skinned, coated in starch, and baked with Cholula, Texas Pete, and vinegar buffalo style. I added baked potato and corn on the cob. To go with that I made some buttermilk ranch dressing.
Next was the legs that I baked crunchy country style. It seemed incomplete so I made up a pot of raspberry BBQ sauce to go along. That might sound weird but it's lower in sugar, better in flavor and more importantly I had the ingredients on hand.
Making hte BBQ sauce reminded me I still hadn't tried the pickles I had made last week so I pulled them out of the cupboard for a taste test. I'm new to making pickles but they were easily the best kosher pickles I had made yet. 
Now I have plenty of food all ready to eat in the fridge. I can devote the rest of the week to working, writing, and not have to deal with take out or delivery. As fun as it is some times to go out to dinner I prefer home cooking over everything. 

Smashwords: Eighth Annual Smashwords Summer/Winter Sales Kicks off July 1

Smashwords: Eighth Annual Smashwords Summer/Winter Sales Kicks off July 1



Check out Smashwords Annual sale. I've discounted my books 50% and be sure to look for the free books too!

Melissa's Men

Melissa's Men takes place at the same time, and at the same event, as the first Brandy book. While Brandy is off taking her first steps with Adam her friend Melissa has decided she won't be outdone. When she bumps into her ex she knows just how the night should go. A group event is just the start of her experiments. Tommy is more than willing to show her what she missed out on when she left him. And how much better things can be when you ask for what you want.

#erotic #gangbang #ebook


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